Containers are known which are equipped with a plastic band having a semi-circular shaped handle to support the container; one example of such handle may be found described in applicant's copending Canadian application Serial No. 218,239 filed Jan. 20, 1975. Other handles may also be found described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,220,591 issued Nov. 30, 1975, U.S. Pat. No. 3,311,252 issued Mar. 28, 1967 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,653,610 issued Apr. 4, 1972.
Some of the containers used with these handles are pharmaceutical bottles used in the administering of intravenous solutions; these bottles are provided with an annular recess adjacent their bottom face to receive a bail which serves to support the bottle in an inverted position during the dispensing of a solution to a patient. The bail may be made of metal, or as described in applicant's copending application described above, of a plastic material such as polyethylene.
In U.S Pat. No. 3,067,501 issued Dec. 11, 1962, there is described a device for applying a plastic bail band to the recess of a parenteral solution bottle. The device includes a series of jaw elements which first expand the band before positioning it in the recess of the bottle. It is noted, however, that after stretching the band and loading the bottle, the jaw elements contact the bottle. This contact between the tool and the bottle must absolutely be avoided because the sterilization process required for the intended use of such bottle renders it brittle; for any small pressure exerted thereon, the bottle breaks easily.